Device for grinding interior faces of tubes



y 1951 v F. R. SIMPSON ETAL 2,551,061

DEVICE FOR GRINDING INTERIOR FACES OF TUBES Filed May 2, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l Frank R .Elimps cm. l3 BCJPHE Nfiarzcas Mai1,195'1 F. R. SIMPSON Em 2,551 061 DEVICE FOR GRINDING INTERIOR FACES 0F TUBES Filed May 2, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :Fg' 5- 7 27 27 26 7 Z6 27 26 27 26 27 26 27 4 L/ 3 23 a 7 a 9 I3 17 [K g 6 /2 22 4 L\ /4 I v a a T... [6'

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Frank R. E'ETFLIJS cm George N. Sacuas my Patented May 1, 1951 DEVICE FOR GRINDING INTERIOR FACES OF TUBES Frank R. Simpson, Upper Darby, and George N. Saccas, Wynnewood, Pa., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of War Application May 2, 1947, Serial No. 745,530

Claims. (01. 51-1701) This invention relates to a method of and device for grinding interior faces of tubes, and more particularly for grinding long gun bores and especially the interior faces of grooves of gun rifling. The grinding of rifiing grooves of long bores of guns of small caliber presents many problems. In order to properly grind such a groove, the grinding tool, such as a suitable grinding wheel, must move axially of the tube and also about the tube axis, in such a manner as to follow precisely the convolutions of the groove, and it must be rotated at the proper speed and by application of the proper propulsive force to insure its proper functioning. The extremely restricted area of small caliber gun bores, in which the above-described operations must occur, presents obvious difiiculties. This invention resolves the problems by affording a, novel method and a device by which it can be practiced, to overcome these difficulties. The particularly novel and useful features of the improved method are the insertion into the tube of a suitably sized grinding wheel, drivin the wheel by a current of propulsive fluid of the proper force and speed of flow, and contemporaneously pressing the periphery of the wheel against the interior face of one of the tube grooves, rotating the wheel about the tube axis and moving it linearly of said axis. The particularly novel and useful features of the improved device, by the use of which the improved method can be practiced, are a carriage, for supporting the grinding wheel, which is suitably dimensioned to pass through a restricted tube of small caliber, a presser shoe in the carriage to resiliently engage the periphery of the wheel against the face of the groove, a rod of suitable length to drive the carriage axially of the tube, on which the carriage is rotatably mounted, a guide shoe riding in one of the tube grooves and adjustably mounted on the carriage to rotate the carriage about the tube axis, and a fluid-operated impeller, in the carriage, geared to drive the Wheel, by a current of fluid supplied through the rod and. a packed joint to a nozzle in the carriage.

While there has been illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter fully described one specific embodiment of the invention as to the device, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention as to the device is not considered to be limited to said specific embodiment, and that its scope is defined by the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device, a portion being broken away.

v Fig. 2 is a top plan partly in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section in the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse vertical section on the line 6-45 of Fig. 3. J

Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse vertical section on the line l'|' of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a greatly enlarged front elevation of the device in operative position in a gun barrel shown in transverse vertical section the grinding wheel being in one adjusted position relative to one of the grooves of the rifiing of the barrel.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 showing the grinding wheel in another adjusted position relative to the groove.

Fig. 10 is another view similar to Fig. 8, showing the grinding wheel in still another adjusted position relative to the groove.

As illustrated in the drawings, the device has a carriage C for supporting the operative elements of the device for passage through the gun barrel B (Figs. 1 and 8). The carriage C comprises a pair of semi-cylindrical members I and 2 suitably related, as by bolts 3, and having in their meeting faces machined-out recesses to provide the carriage C witha longitudinal slot 4 (Fig. 5) in which are disposed the grinding Wheel 5 and its driving mechanism comprising an impeller gear 6 keyed on shaft i and meshing with gear 8 keyed on shaft 9 on Which is keyed pinion Ill meshing with gear H keyed on shaft l2 on which is keyed pinion i3 meshing with ear M keyed on shaft [5 on which is keyed pinion It meshing with gear ll keyed on shaft [8 on which is keyed pinion I 9 meshing with gear 20 keyed on shaft 2| on which is keyed gear 22 meshing with gear 23 keyed on shaft 24 on which the grinding wheel 5 is keyed, and on which is keyed gear 25 which meshes with gear 28, gears 23 and 25 being disposed on opposite sides of grinding wheel 5. The shafts 7, 9, l2, i5, i8, 2i and 24 have conical friction reducing bearings 25 seated in suitable adjustable aligned sockets 2i tapped in members I and 2. It will be noted (Fig. 3) that the maximum diameter of the above-described gears is inferior to the diameter of the carriage C so that the entire gear train is comprehended wholly Within slot 4. It will be noted that shafts 1, 9, l2, l5, l8 and 2! for the gear train are disposed precisely on the longitudinal axis of the carriage C and that shaft 24 onwhich the grinding wheel 5 is keyed is disposed eccentric to said axis, so that the operative edge a of the grinding wheel 5 is projected radially beyond the periphery of carriage C, at one end of the diameter of wheel 5, its other end being within slot 5.

The numerals ly and 2 have, in their meeting faces, machined-out recesses to provide the carriage C with a groove 28, immediately anterior slot 4 (Figs. 3 and 6), in which is pivoted presser shoe 25 on pivot pin 38 disposed normal to the longitudinal axis of carriage C. Shoe 29'has an arcuate periphery 3i corresponding to the periphery of carriage C. A spring 32. confinedbetween carriage C and shoe 29. biases shoe291 ra-z dially of carriage C. A stop-pin 33is tapped through carriage C to adjustably limit movement of shoe 29 about pin 30. It will be noted (Fig. 1) that grinding wheel 5 and shoe25 'are positioned on diametrically opposite sides. of carriage C, and that shoe 2 ;9 normally extends outwardly of the periphery of carriage C.

The members I and 2 have, in their meeting faces, machined-out recesses to provide the carriage C with a slot 34 at its forward end (Figs. 3 and 7) in which is adjustably mounted a guideshoe 35. The shoe 35 has a central portion 36 from which extend in diametricalopposition a tail 31 and a head 38. The portion 35 has a central bore 39, through whichis passeda bolt 58 threaded into carriage C co-axially therewith and having a, slotted head 4} to bear on shoe 35 when the bolt 48 is set up in carriage 'C (Fig. 3), for adjustment of shoe 35 relative to carriage C. Ihe tail 3'! has an arcuate end 42 concentric with carriage C and spaced slightly within slot 34 when the shoe 35 i's mounted in carriage C. The tail 3.? has symmetrically disposed divergent shoulders 43 and 44' to coact with the walls 45 and 35 of slot, 34, as will be presently explained. The central portion'35 hasf'co'nverg'ent shoulders 47 and 38 which also coact'with walls 45 and 46, as willbe explained. The head 38 has aligned shouldersflfi 'andi50, extending from the central portio'n36 at the'termini of shoulders 41 and 38, normal to the longitudinal axis of shoe 35 passing through tail 31, central portion 38 and head 38. These shoulders 49 and 50 co-act with walls 51 and 52 of machined-out recesses 53 and 54 in members] and 2 extending outwardly from slot 35. The head 38 hasa pair of arcuate peripheral portions 55 and 56 symmetrically disposed on either side of an arcuate peripheral portion 57.

Portions 55, 55 and 51 are concentric with car-g riage 'C, portions 55 and 55 being on radii precisely corresponding to the radius of carriage C and portion 5! being on a radius somewhat superior to the radius of carriage C. It will be noted (Fig. 8) that the radius of carriage C is such that it is slidably received in barrel B on lands 58 of the rifling and that portion 51 of shoe 35 fits or is keyed into groove 59 of the rifiing. It will be noted that the span of head 38 of shoe 35 is suflicient to bridge the groove 59, its portions 55 and 56 bearing on the lands 58 contiguous to the groove 59.

The guide shoe 35 is provided with looking bolts 60 and GI tapped through members 1 and 2 and having heads 62 and 63 bearing against tail 3! for adjusting shoe 35 relative to carriage C (Figs. 8, 9 and The carriage C is provided with an axial bore 64 extending forwardly from the rear endof carriage C to a point somewhatrearward of slot 4.- From the front end'of bore 64, a nozzle 65- extends into slot ltangent to impellergear 6 (Fig. 3). Bore 84 has an enlarged portion 66 '-in which is disposed a head 51 on a pipe 68 received in bore 64. The head 61 has a forward spherical end 59 seated in a spherical face T0 of a packing ring 'H seated in the forward end of portion 66. A second packing ring '52 seated in the rear end of portion 56 embraces pipe 53 which projects rearwardly from carriage C. It is obvious from the foregoing description of the elements that carriage C is rotatably mounted on pipe 58, can be caused to travel through barrel B by pressure exerted axially by pipe 58 and supplied with fluid through pipe 88 and the packed joint above described. Pipe 68 has its rear end threaded in a pipe. 13; having a length suitable for traversing the carriage C through the barrel which is to be treated, and is provided at its forward end with a guide ring I l having an outside diameter corresponding precisely with the diameter of the carriage C. Any suitable form of a coupling I5 may be provided for attaching a flexible fluid conduit (not shown) to pipe 13.

From the foregoing description of the details of structure of the. device, its use and operation will be obvious. The device being assembled as shown in. Fig. l, the forward end of the carriage C is inserted into either end of the barrel B, the portion 5'! of the guide shoe 35 being inserted into the groove 53 ofv the rifiing of barrel B. Air, oil or any other suitable fluid under pressure is supplied through pipes 13. and, 68,. head 6] and bore 84 to the nozzle 55. and is discharged by nozzle 65 against the teeth of impeller gear 8 causing it to rotate counterclockwise as viewed. in

Fig. 3, driving the grinding wheel'5 counterclockwise through the gear train connecting the impeller gear 6 with the grinding wheel 5. It will be understood that the speed of fiowof the fluid from thenozzle 65 and the design of the gearing is such that the desired speed of rotation of the wheel 5 is produced. It will be noted (Figs. 3' and 8) that the nozzle 55 is so related" to the impeller gear 6, and the gear train between the impeller gear 8v and wheel 5 is such, that the upper side of the operative edge 5a, of the wheel 5, operating on the groove at the top ofv barrel B (Fig. 8) moving counterclockwise tends to travel longitudinally of groove 53'. The pressure shoe Zillcearing onthelands 58'at the bottom of the barrel B; tends to intrude the wheel 5 into the groove 59 atthe top of barrel B. When the pipe 13 is manually moved forwardly, the carriage C is moved forwardly through the barrel B, and due to guide shoe 35 riding in the helical groove 53 of the rifiing, the carriage C-rotates about pipe 68: so that the operative edge 5--a of Wheel5 follows precisely the convolutions of the groove 59- in which it operates.

It will be noted (Fig. 8) that the-operative edge 5--a of the grinder wheel Elias a widthconsiderably less than the width of'the groove 53- in which it operates (one-third as illustrated in the drawings). When the guide shoe 35 is adjusted as shown in Fig. 8, the carriage C will be so related to the barrel-B that the edge 5a will operate on the middle of the groove 59; Whenthe guide shoe 35 is adjusted as shown in-Figs. 9 and 10,- the carriage C will be so related to the barrel B that the edge 5a willoperate on the right and left-ends of the groove 59-, respectively. As-above described, the walls 55 and 46 of the carriage C act as abutments for shoulders 43,-

l -and w of shoe 35 and walls 5| and 52-for shoulders 49 and 55, when the shoe 35 is adjusted as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. It is obvious-thatshoe35-is capable of precise adjustmentby bolts EO-andfi-l into positions relative to carriage C intermediate the positions shown in the drawings. Thus it is obvious that the device has means for precisely adjusting the edge 5--a for operation on determined portions of groove 59 as desired.

tion of the improved device in the practice of the improved method, it is obvious that the essential features of the method are the fluid actuation of the grinding wheel and the contemporaneous impinging upon and helical travel in the groove by the. wheel. Since the practice of the method requires merely relative movement of the wheel and tube linearly of the axis of the tube and about said axis, it is obvious that the improved method is susceptible of practice by immobilizing the supporting medium of the driven grinding wheel and contemporaneously moving the tube linearly of its axis and rotating the tube about its axis.

While the improved method is particularly useful for grinding the interior faces of grooves in the interior face of a tube, such as grooves of gun rifling, the method can be practiced in grinding the interior faces of tubes devoid of grooves. In such practice, the step in the method of rotating the grinding wheel about the axis of the tube is not required. Also it is obvious that the method can be practiced for grinding the exterior faces of the lands intermediate the grooves in gun riding or other grooved tubes. In order to grind the lands, the parts are adjusted so that the periphery of the grinding wheel is caused to impinge on the exterior face of the land and the guide shoe is designed to engage the land in the tube which is diametrically opposed to th land to be ground.

Having described the invention, what we claim 1s:

1. In a device for grinding the interior faces of tubes, the combination of a rod provided with a longitudinal conduit and an nlarged head having a spherical face; a carriage drivable through the tube to be ground, and having a longitudinal conduit provided with an enlarged chamber, said rod extending through one end of the carriage conduit to dispose said head in said chamber; a packing ring in said chamber embracing said rod; a second packing ring in said chamber having a spherical socket in which said spherical face is seated; a nozzle on the other end of the carriage conduit; an impeller gear so journaled in said carriage adjacent said nozzle as to be driven by the propulsive force of a current of fluid discharged from said nozzle; a grinder wheel jour naled in said carriage; a gear train journaled in said carriage, driven by said impeller gear, and

driving said wheel; a pressure shoe pivotally mounted on said carriage for rotation about an axis forward of and parallel to the axis of rotation of said grinding wheel, and a spring anchored to said carriage and to said pressure shoe and biased to force said pressure shoe radially outwardly in a direction to yieldingly press said grinding wheel against the interior face of said tube.

2. In a device for grinding the interior surface of a tube having rifling grooves therein, the combination comprising a carriage and a grinding wheel carried thereby adapted to be inserted into and moved longitudinally in the tube with the longitudinal axis of the carriage substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the tube, the said grinding wheel having its axis of rotation substantially at right angles with the direction of the longitudinal axis of said carriage, means carried by said carriage and operable by a fluid under pressure for rotating said grinding wheel, a pressure shoe pivotally mounted on said carriage for rotation about an axis forward of and parallel to the axis of rotation of said grinding wheel, and a spring anchored to said carriage and to said pressure shoe and biased to force said pressure shoe radially outwardly in a direction to yieldingly press said grinding wheel against the interior face of said tube, and a guide shoe fixed to the forward end of said carriage in co-axial alignment with the longitudinal axis of said carriage, said guide shoe being provided with a portion projecting beyond the periphery of said carriage to act as a key for slidable engagement Within a rifling groove within the tube.

3. In a device for grinding the interior surface of a tube, the combination comprising a carriage and a grinding wheel carried thereby adapted to be inserted into and moved longitudinally in the tube with the longitudinal axis of the carriage substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the tube, the said grinding Wheel having its axis of rotation substantially at right angles. with the direction of the longitudinal axis of said carriage, an impeller gear carried by said carriage; a train of reduction gears carried by said carriage for transmitting rotary motion from said impeller ear to said grinding wheel, whereby the: said grinding wheel rotates more slowly than said impeller gear; a nozzle carried by said carriage; for leading a fluid under pressure to said im-- peller gear to rotate it, a pressure shoe pivotally mounted on said carriage for rotation about an axis forward of and parallel to the axis of ro-- tation of said grinding wheel, and a spring anchored to said carriage and to said pressure shoe: and biased to force said pressure shoe radially outwardly in a direction to yieldingly press said grinding Wheel against the interior face of said. tube.

4. In a device for grinding the surface of rifiing' grooves in a gun barrel, the combination comprising an elongated substantially cylindrical carriage of diameter smaller than said gun barrel, a grinding wheel mounted within a slot in said carriage for rotation about an axis substantiallyat right angles to the direction of the longitudinal axis of said carriage, said grinding wheel having. a diameter less than that of the gun barrel andv greater than the diameter of said carriage and extending upwardly a short distance above the top surface of said carriage to bear upon the inner surface of a rifiing groove in said gun barrel,

means for yieldingly pressing said grinding wheel against said inner surface comprising a pressure shoe pivotally mounted upon said carriage on an axis located forward of and parallel to the axis 7 of rotation of said grinding wheel, a spring anchored on said carriage and biased to exert a force upon said pressure shoe to cause said pressure shoe to bear on the inner surface of said gun barrel on the side opposite to that on which said grinding wheel is located, a guide shoe fixed to the forward end of said carriage and provided with a portion projecting beyond the periphery of said carriage to act as a key to extend into a rifiing groove diametrically opposite to the groove to be treated, a train of gears mounted on said carriage posteriorly of and in communication with 7 said grinding wheel and including an impeller gear to transmitrrotary motion to, said grinding wheeLand a nozzle located in the rear end of said carriage for leading pressure fluid to said impeller gear whereby said grinding wheel-is rotated to grind a first riflng groove in said gun barrel as said carriage is moved longitudinally guided by the guide shoe keyed in a second riflpg groove in said gun barrel.

5. The device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said guide shoe comprises a lower head portion, an .uppernarrowing tail portion extending upwardly into a slot formed in'the forward end of said carriage, the central portion of said guide shoe having a bore co-axial with the longitudinal axis of said carriage, a bolt fitted into said bore and anchoredto said carriage whereby said carriage may be adjusted about said longitudinal axis with respect to the axis of said guide shoe to adjust the plane of rotation of said rindi wheel.

FRANK R. SIMPSON. GEORGE N. SACCAS.

marmosets euro The following references are ofrecord in the file ofthis patent:

U IlED-S'I'AT S PATEN mber Name. Dat

705,753 Hart July 29, 19132 1326,00; Straier s May L4, 1912 1,132,691 Sieben Mar. 23, 1915 1,260,125. Aurand .u s Mar. 19, 1918 1,2'Z8A53 "Frank ,;Sep.t; 10, 191B l;296,85 Ross -vMar. 11, 1919 1,l08, 578 Garner Mar; 7, 1922 1,687,252 Laessker -H .O.ct. 9, 1928 2,352,888 Dettloff July 4, 19.4; 2,414,731 Forbes; Jan. 21, 19.47

FoREInN PA ENTS Number Count y Date 20,052 ma y -.-v June 19 3s 

